Infiltration of lymphosarcoma cells into hepatocyte cultures: inhibition by univalent antibodies against liver plasma membranes and lymphosarcoma cells.

The number of murine MB6A lymphosarcoma cells that infiltrated rat hepatocyte cultures was found to be diminished after treatment of the lymphosarcoma cells with univalent antibodies raised against these tumour cells (anti-MB6A Fab), and also after treatment of the hepatocyte cultures with univalent antibodies directed against rat liver plasma membranes (anti-LPM Fab). The inhibition of infiltration by anti-MB6A Fab and an anti-LPM Fab raised against sinusoidal face-enriched membranes could be entirely attributed to their interference with adhesion of MB6A cells to the exposed surface of the hepatocytes, because infiltration of the adherent cells was not inhibited. Anti-LPM Fab raised against contiguous face-containing LPM, on the other hand, inhibited the adhesion to the exposed surface and the subsequent infiltration of adherent cells. These observations suggest that specific membrane constituents of both MB6A cells and hepatocytes take part in liver infiltration, and that there may be two different hepatocyte components involved, one mediating adhesion to the exposed surface and the other taking part in the infiltration process proper.